John p



2' sheets-,sheen '1.

(N0 Model.)

Y J.F.APPL BBY, CABLE YRAILWAY vGRIP ATTA'GHMENT.

No. 421,538. Patented Feb.l 18, 1890,

min tss ts.

mw au??? (No Model.) sheets-sheet '2.

J. F. APPLEBY.

CABLE RAILWAYGRIP ATTACHMENT. N0. 421,538. Patented F61). 1'8, 1890.

*d Nh 3f:

mi qlgd! las ` o HrusssA E umntor.

i JvfzI-Ll-f/bzegjl.

x M agay@ N. PETERS. PMID-L'Mwgriphur, Wnlhillgim'DLC' UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. APPLEBY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CABLE-RAI LWAY-G Fil P ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,538, dated February 18, 1890.

Application filed May 1-, 1889. Serial No. 309,213. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom. t may concern.- y

Be it known that I, JOHN F. APPLEBY, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certaink irregular movement ofthe cable; and itconsists, generally, in the construction and combination hereinafter described, and particu- I arly pointed out inthe claims. v

Vtith the grip secured in a Xed position to the car in the ordinary manner, when the grip seizes the moving cable to start the car from a dead stop, there is inevitablysome slip of the cable through the grip and more or less of a jerk given to the car proportioned inversely to the amount of slip of the cable through the grip. This is a severe strain upon thecar, disagreeable and sometimes dangerous to passengers, and very injurious to the cable. It is frequently the case, also, when there is an undue amount of slack in the cable, that the car is pulled along with violent jerks, although the cable maymot slip through the grip. By means of my improvement, however, these serious defects in con-v struction and operationare wholly obviated.

l Though the cable bev iirmly and suddenly grasped by the grip, the car is started with a gradual and accelerating movement, the cable meanwhile being held without slipping. I accomplish this by providing a sliding connection of the grip withthe car and a suitable clutch on the carl-axle connecting with the grip, by means ofwhich a positive impulse is given to the wheels of the car rectly from the grip, the grip being held 1n its normal position by a strong adjustable spring, which counteracts and compensates for all violent and sudden movement of the cable or grip.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figurel is a longitudinal vertical section of a grip-car, showing the grip and my Vimprovements attached thereto in elevation and the position of the parts while the car is at rest and the cable running loosely in the grip. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the grip and ofV its compensating spring at the first movement after clutching the cable. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. l, showing the position of parts after the first forward movement of the car. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section of the car on line c of Fig. l, showing the grip-controlling spring.

6 is a detail of the clutch mechanism.

In the drawings, 2 represents the car body or floor, 3 the grip, of ordinary form, having a suitable quadrant 4. and a lever 5, adapted to engage with and lock with the same.

6 is the cable, the direction of its movenient being indicated by the arrow a, Fig. l.A

The grip 3 is preferably provided with the horizontal reciprocating bar 7, slidably supported in suitable depending standards 8, underneath the car-body, whereby the grip has freedom of movement longitudinal of the oar between the standards 8, its normal position being next the rear standard, as shown in Fig. l.

The movement of the grip is governed and partially controlled by the coil-spring 9, which grip and attachments, showing position ofV Fig. 5 is a dev tail of the compensating-grip spring, and Fig.

is supported underneath the car-body at the rear of the grip. This spring is coiled about a suitable spindle or axis 13 and has one end connected with the grip by a suitable link 10, and the other Vend adjustably secured to a suitable support 11 by means of the setsscrew l2, whereby the tension of the spring may bey increasedor diminished. By this means the pull of the cable `when seized by the grip is transmitted to the spring, which neutralizes all sudden jerks and strains that otherwise would be transmitted directly to the car. This grip moves forward against the tension of the spring,which is preferably adj usted so as to return it to its normalposition when the car is under full headway.

In order to-transmit a direct and positive impulse to the oar-wheels from the grip in order to start the car, I provide a suitable Ioo clutch A, secured to the rear axle of the car,

having suitable link-connection with the grip.

While any `suitable means may be used, I prefer to employ that shown in the drawings, which consists of the disk 14:, rigidly secured upon the axle 25 as its axis, the forked clutcharm 15 embracing said disk and pivoted upon said axle. Resting upon the periphery of the disk, and loosely held by the plate 1G in the recess 17 of the clutch-arm, is the frictionroll 18.

Vhen the arm 15 is in its normal or vertical position, as shown in detail, Fig. 6, and the disk is being rotated by the turningl of the axle in the direction indicated bythe arrow b, the friction-roll is carried forward against the plate 16 and rolls freely u pon the periphery of the disk.4 If, however, the disk is at rest` and the arm 15 is drawn forward, the friction-roll is wedged into thenarrowed spaceinthe recess and upon' the disk, thus clutching :itfirmly and carrying it forward with the movement of the arm, and thus turns the axleiand carries the car forward 'This clutchmechanism is designed to assistin giving a iirstk impulsel to the car. I prefer, therefore, to make the arm 15 considerably longer than 1 the radius Vof the car-wheel', whereby greater power and slower speed? are obtained for startingzthecar. At `first the motion is much slower than the movement of the cable; but as the lever is progressively fore-shortcned-its leverage upon the disk is practically shortened,.and consequently the motion of the axleis increased until it nearly equals the speed ofthe cable as the armapproaehes the line :ofthe :draft between the axle and the connections witlrthe reciprocating bar or grip. In order that the power may be applied to the clutch 'gradually to prevent severe strain or `jerk,.I prefer to provide the compensating spiral spring 19, secured to the forward end ofthe reciprocating bar 7. This rests-against a collar or stop 20, rigidly secured to the bar, while its opposite end presses against the forward end of the yoke 21, which is adaptedfto slide longitudinally on said bar. To this yoke is secured the link 22, whichis secured at its opposite end to the clutch-arm 15, so that the Iirst `forward movement of the bar when the grip clutches the cable tends to compress the spring before the clutclrarm moves forward at equal speed,thus preventing a jerk land also any slip of the carwheels on the track. The forward `motion of the clutch.- arm is quicklyaccelerated until `the spring) 19 expands to its limit in the yoke; 4 ,The tension ofthe spring'iL-adding its strength, quickly impels the car forward till it overtakes the grip by acquiring equal speed, and, being still impelled by the assistance of vthe tension of the spring 9, acquires more rapid movement than the cable, whereupon `the grip is relatively to the car carried back `to its` normal position, in which position it vremains while.

alregularspeed of the cable is maintained. Should the cable, however, be jerked forward, as sometimes occurs by reason of slack, the

mechanism above described ,serves to compensate for such irregular movement, so that it is hardly perceptible in the movement of the car, the parts only partially performing their functions, as described.

The spring l9 may be adjusted to dierent weights of trains or for'ascending grades, so asAto hold the grip in its normal position, except in starting and when sudden irregular movements of the cable take place.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a cable car, of a grip'arranged 1to1 slide longitudinally in said car and provided with mechanism automatically controlling theposition ofsaidwgrip relative to the starting and- -moving Aposition of the car, anda clutch mechanism connect ing said gripwwith vthe axlerof the cartn l. -1

2.The combination, with a cable car, of la clutch connected with fthe car-axle'and provided with an operating-armconnectedrto a member of 'thel moving gripfframe,and a movable grip] arranged upon` thecar and adaptedto slide thereonand eonnectedlwith said arm, whereby as saidqgripis moved the arm is turnedzand 'is progressively forcshortcned and thecar is started with a progressively-increasin'gspeed.1 l 3. The'vcombination,.with.a eabletear, Of la grip arranged t0 reciprocate longitudinally of said car, aspring-controlled ,connection betweensaid gripandvsaid, car,` anda clutch connected with said gripand adapted to e11- gage an axleofthecarw V u y, 4. The combinatonwithacable-railway grip-car, of a-suitable gripsupportedumderneath said car= and adapted; "toVrceiprocate longitudinally of vthe -samasuitablespringeontrolled link-connection between said `grip and said .,car, a suitable clutch 1connected. with saidgrip adapted `to engageanfaxle tof the car, and` asuitable compensating spring interposed between said clutchand said grip, substantially as-and for thepurposeset forth.

5. The, combination, with a. cablerailw'ay car, ofA a suitable` cable-gri p adaptedftto,be reciprocated `longitudinally of. said` car.` and having a suitable spring adapted to` hold its normal positiqn, and a suitable` clutch `havin g suitable elasticaconnection with .saidgrip and adapted, when operated bythe forward move ment of said` grip, to engage withandcotate an axle of said-car,-substantially as and for the purpose set forth. ,J

G. Ina cable-railway car having a springcontrolled slidable grip, means for starting the car by a'positive rotating of thecarwheels, comprising, essentially, a suitablendiskrigidly, secured-toan axle ,of the car, a suitable clutch engaging said. disk, suitable .link-,conneetions between said clutch and said-grip, whereby the movement of the grip operates said clutch, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth. t l ,l

7i `In a eablerailway car, the combination, with the grip 3, having the reciprocating bar 7,

IOO

IIO

of the adjustablecoil-spring 9, secured to the car and connected with said grip by the link 10, the clutch A, secured to the axle 25, the link 22, connecting said clutch to the reciprocating bar 7, and the compensating spring 19, interposed between said link and said bar, combined and operating substantially as described. v

In testimonyA whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of April, 1889.

JoHN'F. APPLEBY.

In .presence of i i T. D. MERWIN, A. M. GASKILL. 

